I used to use a large number of saline filled breast implants (silicone filled implants are far more common now). These are silicone implant shells, which are filled, at the time of surgery, with ‘normal saline’. Normal saline is a 0.9% salt water solution which is typically used whenever you see an intravenous solution going directly into the blood stream (the hanging bag with the tube going into a vein like you might see in the movies). Some of the older implants will sometimes have a leak develop, usually at the valve structure, and then the implant can empty out, either partially or completely. Patient may notice that one of their implants is getting smaller, sometimes very gradually, and sometimes very suddenly. We know that all implants will eventually break. How long they last will depend on many factors, and sometimes they may fail within just a few years. Most [Read more...]

The breast implants sold in Canada today are among the most studied medical devices in history. In fact, breast implants have undergone more clinical study than most heart valve replacements! Implants are made from a silicone shell, and may be filled with either a silicone gel or saline (a salt water solution, similar in composition to your bodies salt content). Silicone may raise fears, but in practical terms, silicone is one of the safest, most inert substances for medical devices. That is why it is used in most joint replacements and pacemakers as well as hundreds of other medical devices. Furthermore, silicone is used as a lubricant in most syringes, such that you do get a little bit of silicone injected every time you get an injection (a flu shot, for example). Diabetics, who inject themselves with insulin several times per day may inject a significant amount of silicone every [Read more...]

Breast implant infections are rare complications of surgery. Usually, this means that the implant has to be removed for several months before it can be re-inserted. However, there is a special technique that can sometimes be used to benefit patients with this problem.